issacertifiedtrainer/christophermcdonnough Five Rs Principle The Five Rs are important elements for any beginners’ or intermediates’ fitness training programs. Similar in scope to the FITT Principle, this principle keys on slightly different elements of training technique. The reasonable answer as to which is best is that both are necessary, and both should be applied to your client’s training programs. These “R” principles do not always apply to elite clients because of their often severe and highly specialized techniques. RANGE OF MOTION: When we speak of range of motion, we mean the complete movement capability of a joint. Every exercise must be performed through the complete range of motion, from a fully stretched position of the targeted muscle(s) to a fully contracted position. Equally important, each and every muscle spanning (or acting upon) a given joint must be exercised in order to maintain or improve that joint’s range of movement. RESISTANCE: The resistance (that is, the weight moved) must be small enough that the exercise can be performed through full range of motion without “cheating,” or using body swing. Yet the resistance must be such that it taxes the muscles for the desired number of repetitions. REPETITIONS: When choosing the number of repetitions (how many times the exercise is to be done in a set), you must first decide what results you want from the program. Generally, low repetitions (3 to 8) produce absolute strength. Medium repetitions (10 to 20) produce anaerobic strength endurance. High repetitions (20 to 40) produce aerobic strength endurance. The bodybuilder, who is training for increased bulk, does many sets of many different weights, speeds and repetitions to get as many elements of his muscles to adapt for maximum size increases. Yet, despite his extreme muscular size, this individual will not have the same absolute or limit strength as the client who trains strictly for absolute or limit strength. So, this “R” relates to the fact that your training efforts will yield highly specific results, according to how and what stress is applied. REST: A working muscle needs about 2 to 4 minutes rest between each set of repetitions before it is ready to function near full capacity again. For example, several repetitions of the curl would constitute one set of curls. A second set of repetitions should begin after two to four minutes of rest. The first set will have depleted the cell’s adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and phosphocreatine (PC), your muscles’ energy for contraction. ATP and PC cannot be replenished in less than about two minutes. RECOVERY: The last R, recovery, is very important. Adequate time must be allowed between one workout and the next, so the exercised muscles can complete their recovery processes. As a general rule, you should not exercise the same muscle group two days in a row, and usually not more than three times a week. Otherwise, your body will eventually become fatigued and reach a stale, or overtrained, state. If you do not give your muscles a rest, they will take one on their own — you will get overtrained or (worse) injured. In sports medicine circles, this phenomenon is commonly called the overuse syndrome, and results from “cumulative microtrauma.”
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 14:35:42 +0000
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